WAER Adding Greenwald and Musser to Hall of Fame

SYRACUSE — Two former major league sportscasters who got their start at Syracuse University’s WAER will be inducted to the station’s Hall of Fame when WAER hosts its 65th anniversary celebration dinner tomorrow night. The inductees include Hank Greenwald, class of 1957, and the late Andy Musser, class of 1959.

The dinner will be held at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center. It’s open to the public and doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are $65 each, and those interested in attending are asked to contact WAER at 443-5253.

WAER provided the following background on the two inductees in a press release:

Greenwald, a 1957 graduate of SU, broadcast Syracuse University baseball, football and basketball games on WAER. He did play by play in 1957 of the first ever Orange games in the NCAA basketball tournament. For five years (1960-1964), he was the voice of the initial statewide Syracuse University radio sports network. Hank moved to San Francisco after the 1964 football season. Before achieving his goal of becoming a big league baseball announcer in 1979, he did play by play of the San Francisco Warriors in the NBA and hosted a radio sports talk show. His baseball broadcasting career included 16 years with the San Francisco Giants, two years with the New York Yankees, two years with the Oakland Athletics and one season of Saturday Game of the Week for CBS Radio.

A mentor for many former big league baseball players who wanted to break into broadcasting, Hank is the author of “This Copyrighted Broadcast.” Bob Costas wrote the introduction and Leigh Steinberg, famous sports agent, wrote the foreword for the book which was a best seller in the Bay area. Hank’s son, Doug, has followed in his broadcasting footsteps. In recent years Doug has been the play by play man of the Giants Triple A farm club in Fresno, California.

Musser, a 1959 graduate who passed away in January, spent most of his broadcasting years in Philadelphia. Before he retired in 2001, he broadcast two World Series, two Super Bowls and two Masters Golf Tournaments. He is best known as the play by play announcer for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1976 to 2001. During that time he worked with the team’s revered broadcasters, Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn. He was also the radio play by play man for Philadelphia Eagles, one of the youngest lead broadcasters in the National Football League. In addition he served as the radio play by play announcer for the Philadelphia 76’ers and Villanova Wildcats basketball team.

From 1973 to 1976, the native of Lemoyne, Pa, who was raised in nearby Harrisburg was the lead voice for Chicago Bulls telecasts. From 1976 to 1980 he did TV games of the New York Knicks.

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